Underwood, Cosby Share Animated Fatherhood

Actor Blair Underwood (L.A. Law) has been signed to star in Nick at Nite’s first original animated series, Fatherhood, based on the best-selling book by Bill Cosby. Cosby will exec. produce the series with Charles Kipps (Little Bill, Cosby Mysteries, Law & Order) and David Brokaw (Little Bill).

Each half-hour episode will humorously explore the challenges, lessons and confusing situations that come with family life. Underwood, who appeared in the feature films Full Frontal, Malibu’s Most Wanted, Rules of Engagement and Deep Impact, will star as the voice of Dr. Bindlebeep, a high school teacher, loving husband and father of three.

The series is scheduled to premiere January 2004. Jaime Mitchell serves supervising producer and director, with Sal Maniaci, VP of development and production for TV Land and Nick at Nite, overseeing production. Other key crew members include art director/production designer Serge Michaels and exec. in charge Michele Weiss.

This summer, Underwood will romance a leading lady in four episodes of the hit HBO series Sex & the City. He will also star in the independent feature film How Did It Feel?, based on the award-winning play by Daniel Farado, who wrote and directed the film.

Fatherhood, published by Doubleday/Dolphin in May 1986, became the fastest-selling hardcover book of all time and topped The New York Times Best Seller List for more than 27 weeks.

Since its March 2002 launch on Nick at Nite, The Cosby Show has been the highest rated program on the network, drawing more than 16 million viewers every week.